Fukushima water hurts Taiwan’s push for better ties with Japan
- Tokyo’s decision to release more than 1 million cubic metres of radioactive water into the Pacific generates criticism of Taipei for not doing more to stop it
- Taiwan is keen to win support from its democratic allies in the region to counter rising pressure from Beijing
Japan’s plan to release radioactive water into the Pacific has put Taiwan’s government in a bind, caught between standing up for its fishing industry and avoiding a dispute with its northern neighbour.
Japan’s decision this week to release more than 1 million cubic metres of radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean generated opposition in Taiwan and criticism of Tsai Ing-wen’s government for not doing more to stop it. That backlash may strengthen support for Taiwan’s ban on Japanese seafood and farm produce from Fukushima and surrounding prefectures, making it harder for Tsai to improve ties with Japan.
The chairman of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Johnny Chiang, accused Tsai of sacrificing the interests of Taiwan’s fishermen and lamented what he sees as the government’s unwillingness to more forcefully protest against the Japanese move. The opposition has long campaigned to maintain Taiwan’s import ban.
China warns of action over Japan’s decision to dump radioactive Fukushima water into the sea
A majority of respondents voted in favour of keeping the import restrictions in a 2018 referendum initiated by a senior figure in the party. Tsai’s government is also steeling itself for another food-related political showdown in August over a proposed referendum against her decision to ease import restrictions on US pork and beef.
Japan’s plan to release the radioactive water would complicate the atmosphere surrounding food from Fukushima, said Lai I-chung, president of the Taipei-based Prospect Foundation think tank, but it was not top of Tsai’s agenda right now.
“The government here right now is trying to diffuse the possible political time bomb associated with the plebiscite on the American pork import issue,” he said. “So the issues regarding Japan’s Fukushima food imports won’t be able to be fully discussed until the conclusion of the referendum this August.”
Japan has made no secret of the fact that Taipei must first rescind the ban before it will consider talks about the possibility of Taiwan joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to the Tsai administration’s chief trade negotiator, John Deng. That is a key goal for Tsai’s final term in office, and Tokyo’s backing is essential to her aspirations of joining the Japan-led trading bloc.
Tsai’s government has made building out support from democratic allies in the region a crucial part of its efforts to counter rising pressure from Beijing. Japan, as a key trading partner, major economic and military power and a US ally, is a central part of that strategy.
The People’s Liberation Army has steadily ratcheted up the frequency and intensity of its flights close to Taiwan in the past few months to underscore its claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. On Monday, 25 PLA military planes flew into the southwest section of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, the largest such incursion this year.
Beijing pressure is not limited to military intimidation. The mainland took Taiwan by surprise in February by announcing a halt to imports of Taiwanese pineapples. Beijing said the ban was triggered by the discovery of pests in shipments of the fruit, a claim Taiwan’s government rejected, saying the move was intended to hurt support for Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party.
